Coral reefs and their wildlife, like bright orange clownfish, sea anemones and colorful sponges, face threats like climate change and overfishing every day. But there’s a lesser known threat lurking among the waves: international trade in coral reef animals for “ornamental” uses like home and business aquariums, jewelry and household decorations.

The fate of the dwarf seahorse species that calls Florida seagrass beds home is up in the air after all that oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico this past summer. Experts say it will take time to figure out how the oil affects the population of these small, fragile creatures that live off Florida’s shores.